DARREN PARRISH received the Club Championship Trophy at the annual general meeting and presentation night of the Guernsey Freshwater Angling Society held at La Villette Hotel. Three trophies were presented to the winners by club president Chris Hubbard.

The Mick’s Fishing Supplies Evening League Cup went to Mark Callinswood, while the Mick’s Fishing Supplies Best Fish Cup was won by Alan Bradley.

The Sarnia Inter-Insular Shield for the heaviest bag in the inter-island match went to Scott Wild for a haul weighing 46-12-0.

The Winter League Shield was won by Bradley. The best fish of the year, a 5-0-0 tench, gave Steve Moore the Rod Spratley Cup, while the heaviest bag award, the Dave Copperwaite Cup, went to Peter Clark for his 38-8-0 catch.

The majority of the committee were re-elected.

They were president Hubbard, chairman Copperwaite, match secretary Parrish, treasurer Rob Foss, fisheries officer Jim Rosbrook and committee members Wild, Clark, Bradley and Richard Le Ray.

Rosbrook was also re-elected as the club delegate to the Bailiwick of Guernsey Record (Rod-Caught) Fish Committee.

Two new posts of assistant fisheries officer were created. One was filled by Mark Ogier and the other by Callinswood, although this is to be confirmed. It is hoped that Paul Berryman, who was absent from the meeting, will take over the secretary vacancy.

Much of the discussion at the meeting was taken up with fishery-management problems.

Unlike their sea-angling colleagues, the freshwater anglers have a steady stream of tasks that must be completed before they can enjoy their fishing. Each year there is a whole range of jobs to be done.

At each of the society’s nine waters, undergrowth has to be cleared, not just at the water’s edge but also on access paths. Platforms, or pontoons, have to be built and maintained at the fishing spots and where necessary gates and fences repaired.

In addition, liaison must be maintained with the landowners to ensure all this work meets with their approval and all this must be done taking into account the increasing requirements of the health and safety legislation.

It is to their immense credit that all these laborious but essential tasks are successfully completed on an annual basis.